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Much of what you
know as an adult comes from reading –everything from novels and web pages to
cereal boxes and street signs. Yet what do you remember about how you learned to
use this powerful tool?
Similar to
learning to ride a bike or singing a new song, becoming a competent reader
requires lots of practice with a set of specific skills. Most of these skills
are acquired through direct instruction in the early elementary years.
Reading
instruction in schools today is quite different today than it likely was when
you were taught to read. Following is a breakdown by grade level of some typical
activities that schools now use to help build your child’s reading skills.
Kindergarten
In the
kindergarten classroom, you will not be at a loss where to find things. This is
because everything, from the soap dish to the fish tank, has likely been labeled
with its name. This is not mere coincidence. It is one of the first ways that
very young children learn that written language can help them understand their
world.
At the
kindergarten level, the main emphasis is on helping children learn about the
larger world that they have entered and what schooling is all about. Much of the
kindergarten day is focused on helping children see that reading and writing
will play a significant role in their learning during school.
A major goal of
kindergarten is to help children begin to believe in themselves as readers and
writers. To this end, children are given lots of opportunity to "read"
from a vast assortment of books filled with colorful pictures or illustrations
and to be read to by their teacher. Through this, children begin to understand
the parts of a book (title, the name of the author and illustrator, the
connection between the pictures and words), and their functions. They also learn
how formal reading works (for pleasure, to inform) and to recognize some simple
words by sight (I, the, you, me).
Through
socializing and playing, children learn that language (both spoken and written)
can be used not only to communicate with their friends, but can help them work
through problems.
Grades one and
two
At this point,
children begin the more formal instruction of reading. Teachers build on what
children may already know about the basics of reading (that reading is done from
left to right, from the front to the back of a book, that individual letters are
made from single letters). A large part of reading instruction at this level
centers on phonemic awareness, which is the ability to recognize that our speech
can be broken down into small sounds. Teachers use activities with tools such as
nursery rhymes, poetry and songs to help students identify the sounds that
different letters and combinations of letters make. However, this is not done in
isolation. At each of the elementary grade levels, students are provided access
to a wide variety of books, magazines, multimedia software, newspapers and other
types of literature. These are used for group work (i.e. The Very Hungry
Caterpillar by Eric Carle might be used as a basis for a unit on caterpillars),
for independent work and pleasure reading.
Grades three,
four and five
Although most
children are considered competent readers by third grade, the process of
learning to read doesn’t stop here. In these upper elementary years, the focus
tends to shift from learning to read to reading to learn. Students are given the
opportunity to use their reading skills to conduct research (with reference
books such as encyclopedias and textbooks, in literature and on the Internet),
to tackle more challenging books (in subject areas and for pleasure) and to read
other forms of written material with an eye toward expanding their vocabularies
and giving them greater confidence in their skills as readers.
Tips on what
you can do at home to support family literacy
Although most of
your child’s formal reading skills will be learned during school hours, the
work that you do at home to help support these skills is as important. Following
are some easy ways to make reading a family affair and to instill a lifelong
love of reading in your child.
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Use the
library often. Encourage your child to ask the librarian for help finding
stories he’ll like. Make suggestions, but let him check out what he wants
to read.
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Let your child
see both mom and dad reading and using the library. Encourage your child to
think of the library as a resource for fun and learning throughout life.
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If available,
enroll your child in a library reading club.
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As her reading
skills improve, have her read to you, a sibling, visitors, even a favorite
stuffed animal. Some stories that interest her may still be too hard for her
to read on her own. She’ll let you know if she would rather read with you
or by herself.
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Look for ways
your child can use his new reading skills. Ask him to read signs, menus,
cereal boxes. Have him read to you while you do the dishes or fix the pipes.
Ask relatives to write postcards to him. Put notes in his lunch box ("I
hope you have a great day today! Love, Mom.")
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Set aside a
special read-aloud time for the whole family. There are many books that all
of the members of your family will enjoy. Ask your librarian for suggestions
and remember that many classics like Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
were intended to be read aloud. Have family members read different parts.
Make a bowl of popcorn, turn off the TV and enjoy!
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Show your
children that you support their efforts. The National Association for the
Education of Young Children suggests that you become the "Great
Appreciator," not the "Great Corrector." If your child makes
a mistake while reading aloud to you, don’t interrupt. If the mistake
doesn’t change the meaning, let it go.
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Make sure that
you read some of the books your children enjoy, even when they can read well
on their own. This is a great way of ensuring that reading remains a
pleasurable activity that you share with your children.
Source: The
American Library Association and the National Association for the Education of
Young Children
Reading
Resources for Parents:
On the Internet:
Reference
Books:
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Choosing
Books for Children: A Commonsense Guide by Betsy Hearne
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The New
York Times Parent’s Guide to the Best Books for Children by Eden Ross
Lipson
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The
Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
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Hey! Listen
to This: Stories to Read Aloud by Jim Trelease
>
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For
permission to reprint this article, please contact the
Capital Region BOCES Communications Service at (518)
464-3960.
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